If you find yourself stuck in a rut, and are interested in starting to exercise your mind, or have a parent in a stagnant phase, Dr. Shawn Weiss shares some ways to get started and how to set realistic expectations. Dr. Shawn joins Suzanne on the Answers for Elders Radio Show this hour to talk about Intellectual Wellness, one of the eight foundational principles of senior wellness featured in this summer's Vitality Revolution podcast series.
Dr. Shawn says, "What can you do to create a sense of purpose every single day? That's going to create some situations where you can stimulate your mind. Setting realistic goals means use the acronym SMART: Sustainable, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. The quickest way to do that is let's pick 1 to 2 things that you want to do each week that you want to start adding into your day, because it really is about day-to-day management. And when you are doing some intellectually-stimulating activities, maybe it involves picking up the phone and calling a friend. It's funny because some people on the other end are like, 'is everything ok? Why are you calling me?' I'm like, 'I'm starting a new thing, I am going to pick up and actually hear people's voices and interact with them.'
"Are you able to get out of the house and go to do things, like at the senior center or go get into a group of people for increased social interaction? Super important to do that in person, whether that's with family, or getting out with friends, or at the senior center where they have many, many wonderful things, or go to lunch bunch. The other things are things that you can do on your own which are either using technology, or doing crosswords, or reading books. Maybe turn the TV and talk with your partner more often. Listening to music, putting music on for an hour a day, all of those things promote positivity. When you promote positivity, that rewires the brain. So if you're stuck in a rut, no matter what age, to break that, find what brings you joy and what can you do that's going to make your mind work."
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